If you are going to go down the toyboy route, the last thing you want to do is look like you are taking your son, worse still your grandson, out for a meal. Plus, there is the generational age gap to think about - if you are any more than 10 years older than your beau, there could be major differences of opinion about even the simple things like music.

And, of course, you also need to take into account emotional maturity.

"The younger men in their 20s are just like wild stallions - they like playing the field in terms of mating and meeting women," Matthewman says. "Men in their 30s tend to have more emotional maturity and want to settle down."

So just how low can you go before everybody starts pointing and laughing?

"The traditional advice that fathers gave their sons was, 'Don't date anyone younger than half your age, plus seven years'," Taylor says.

"That's a good guideline for everyone. So a 45-year-old woman could start dating men who are approaching their 30th birthday, and a 60-year-old woman could happily take a 37-year-old man out for day trips using her bus pass."